Conditioned for Yonder Way

"Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come." Matt. 24:42

What an interesting year it's been thus far! Yeah, I know there are a million-and-one other more accurate and descriptive ways to describe it, we all have our ideas and opinions, but I'll leave that there for now. 

I've thought of the word "conditioned" a lot lately. 

We've been conditioned to social distance, quarantine, use massive amounts of hand sanitizer and wear facial coverings if we intend to enter most establishments. Conferences, meetings, outings and sporting events have mostly been canceled or altered in some way. I must say, in the last six months or so, this whole world as I knew it, has changed drastically. For example:

Schools have been canceled and now it's time to begin another school year and it looks quite different on most accounts. There are new requirements, new operating systems, and some students are even being forced to educate from home. 

Church has even changed the way it does certain things. If we sanitized our facilities prior to Covid-19, it's now amped up an hundred times more than that. Some church goers choose to mask up due to compromised or weakened immune systems. Some churches have "reserved pews" saved for NOBODY in order to carry out recommended social distancing guidelines. Although it was popular to live-stream services before Covid-19, this pandemic has made it almost necessary to do so. Who ever thought we'd HAVE to do church from home? 

Ok, I hope you get the picture. I don't have more time to give you more examples and there are so many to choose from, I wouldn't know where to go next. My point is, we're looking at the world on a totally different plane now. And, I'm looking at another world in an entirely different view too! I'm talking about my eternal home, Heaven.

So, what if we are being conditioned? What if the reactions to this pandemic are leading us into a realm of compliancy of which we never dreamed we'd face in these great states of America? What if we're being conditioned for what's right around the corner! Sure, we can talk about socialism and communism, but...

       WHAT IF GOD IS CONDITIONING US TOO!

When the things we normally get sidetracked by have been eliminated, we turn to other things. When the places or events we usually escape off to are no longer operating, we must make a new choice.

For instance, our 29th wedding anniversary was the end of July and I had planned for it to be an out-of-the-town celebration. My husband had taken the entire week off so we could get away. I wanted to go to my favorite place, the mountains of Tennessee, and go to the outdoor Native American drama in Cherokee, N.C., Unto These Hills, just like we did on our honeymoon. I wanted to rent a cabin, enjoy peace and quiet, the calming outdoors and nature, beautiful scenic views, etc. I wanted....yeah, that's ok on some days.

Needless to say, I DIDN'T get what I had anticipated and hoped for at all. I don't have to explain to you the why, do I? 

So, we stayed at home and I will admit I wasn't a very happy camper because my expectations had been dashed and I felt cheated. On the bright side, we had our grand boy that week, so he bought us much joy and kept us busy. However, I was still disappointed. 

Wow, now that that's all out! They do say confession is good for the soul, right? ;)

If I know one thing for sure, the thing that I can always count on to be steadfast, unchanging and immovable, it's God. I recall how He was always trying to turn the children of Israel's hearts back to Himself. They would get distracted by the "things" of the world and would stray away from Him. 

Just. Like. We. Do. 

He had to corral them back into the right paths time and time again. He used different means to get their attention too, but it was always for their good. 

 

So, I'm just thinking, God is in control...even of this Covid pandemic. And, He works everything together for the good to them who love Him and are called for His purpose. Right? Are you with me? So, in spite of all that's changing in our world, God assuredly has His hand in it and I believe that through it all, He is calling us back to Him.

He's conditioning us for the most important thing we've ever prepared for - eternity.

With sports, entertainment and vacations altered, He's calling us to cozy up to Him. He's calling us back to the safety and comfort of His arms. He's inviting us to rest in Him and enjoy our "leisure" time with Him instead of giving carnal things our top priority. I'm not saying all this is wrong, but if it's out of balance with our spiritual practices, it is, my friend. 

He's conditioning us for home! 

Remember how we talked about Him loving the Israelites so much that He did whatever it took to woo them back to Him? Wonder if He's doing the same type of thing for us today? Sure, this frightening pandemic isn't a joke, it's the real deal. People are dying from it's complications. However, what if He turned this horrible pandemic into an contagious, infectious, catching and sweeping, epidemic of revival? What if He's simply calling us back to Him?

Will we heed His call and tug at our hearts today? Can we do a priority check today? A heart inspection? Will we give in to His gentle call like we've complied with the recommendations and limitations put on us by this world?  

Let me say one last thing before I press "publish" to share with you. 

Jesus is coming soon! Our hearts are being conditioned to hear the trumpet call us home. Listen...let's be conditioned for yonder way.